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Why "Walk and Word"?

The first major mistake of my fledgling publishing career was to name the first book I edited Radical Ecumenicity. Apparently, not many people outside of the academy know what “ecumenicity” means and only few people within the academy appreciated the triple entendre I intended with the word “radical” that made the title so irresistible to me. This prompted my brother in-law to design a clever book cover for what he hopes will be a follow-up volume (see image below).

I asked my brother Brian what direction I should go with the website title. Apparently, “Radical Ecumenicity” is not a viable option. He suggested something simple and memorable that would communicate my passion for discipleship, Scripture, and the church. Unable to come up with something like that on my own, I returned to the source of almost every interesting thought I’ve had.

John Howard Yoder wrote an article a while back titled “Walk and Word: Alternatives to Methodologism.” The first half of this title captures exactly what I hope this site will be about. Though it does not always come through in English translation, more than any other New Testament image, Christian faith is likened to a “walk” (Rom 6:1-14; 8:1-17; 13:13-14; 1 Cor 3:3; 2 Cor 5:7; 10:2-6; Gal 5:16-26; Eph 2:1-10; 4:1-3; 4:17-24; 4:25-5:20; Phil 3:17-4:1; Col 1:9-14; 2:6-7; 3:1-17; 4:5-6; 1 Thess 2:11-12; 4:1-12; 2 Thess 3:6-15; 1 John 1:5-7; 2:3-11; 2 John 1:4-6; 3 John 1:2-4). Biblical faith is more than a formative set of practices or an integrated worldview. It is a walk—not a solitary pilgrimage—but a faith journey in community. Not any kind of walking, but walking as Jesus walked, walking after the “Word” who became flesh and walked among us according to the written Word of Scripture.